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Tiago Ilori has been on Brendan Rodger’s wish list this summer, but Liverpool, it is believed, have already failed with two bids for the Portuguese defender. Recent reports suggest that Chelsea are now considering a move for Ilori as Sporting Lisbon stand firm on their demands of £8.5 Million.

The 20-year-old defender has broken into the Sporting Lisbon first team after joining the club’s youth system back in 2006. Interestingly, Ilori started his footballing career as a striker, but after he failed to impress in his first season in the club’s youth team , the youngster was loaned out to Estoril. It was at Estoril that he started playing as a defender and caught everyone’s attention in Portugal.

Since returning to the club, Ilori made his first team debut back in 2011, but it is only now that he has made his presence felt in the senior side. Ilori, who born at London to an English father, is a versatile footballer and is equally at ease in playing as a center-back or as a full-back. He has also progressed through the Portuguese youth teams and made his debut for the U-20 national side last year.

Sensing that Tiago Ilori will attract a lot of interest in the summer, Sporting Lisbon recently extended his contract till 2015. His recent contract extension means that the youngster won’t come cheap for any interested parties. But Liverpool and Chelsea are not the only clubs interested in signing the Portuguese U-20 international. French clubs PSG and Toulouse have also been monitoring his progress at Sporting. Toulouse had in fact attempted to sign Tiago Ilori during the winter transfer window, but the Portuguese club rejected their bid for the defender.

Liverpool have already signed Kolo Toure on a free transfer this summer but are expected to sign one more defender as the futures of Sebastian Coates and Skrtel are up for speculation. It remains to be seen if Liverpool goes back for Ilori with an improved offer but Chelsea’s interest might inflate the transfer fee once again.